CHAPTERX

chapterx

icametoknowgeneralheadquartersmorecloselywhenitremoved,forfresherair,tomontreuil,afineoldwalledtown,oncewithinsightofthesea,whichebbedoverthelow-lyinggroundbelowitshill,butnowlookingacrossawidevistaofrichlycultivatedfieldswheremanyhamletsarescatteredamongclumpsoftrees.onecametog.h.q.fromjourneysoverthewilddesertofthebattlefields,wheremenlivedinditchesand“pill-boxes,”muddy,miserableinallthingsbutspirit,astoaplacewherethepageantryofwarstillmaintaineditsoldanddeadtradition.itwaslikeoneofthosepageantswhichusedtobeplayedinenglandbeforethewar—picturesque,romantic,utterlyunreal.itwasasthoughmenwereplayingatwarhere,whileotherssixtymilesawaywerefightinganddying,inmudandgas-wavesandexplosivebarrages.

an“opensesame,”bymeansofaspecialpass,wasneededtoenterthiscityofbeautifulnonsense.belowthegateway,upthesteephillside,sentriesstoodatawhitepostacrosstheroad,whichlifteduponpulleyswhenthepasshadbeenexaminedbyamilitarypolicemaninaredcap.thenthesentriesslappedtheirhandsontheirriflestotheoccupantsofanymotor-car,surethatmorestaff-officersweregoingintoperformthosedutieswhichnoprivatesoldiercouldattempttounderstand,believingtheybelongedtosuchmysteriesasthoseofgod.throughthenarrowstreetswalkedelderlygenerals,middle-agedcolonelsandmajors,youthfulsubalternsallwearingredhat-bands,redtabs,andtheblue-and-redarmletofg.h.q.,sothatcolorwentwiththemontheirway.

oftenonesawthecommander-in-chiefstartingforanafternoonride,afinefigure,noblymounted,withtwoa.d.c.'sandanescortoflancers.aprettysight,withflutteringpennonsonalltheirlances,andhorsesgroomedtothelasthair.itwasprettierthantherealthingupinthesalientorbeyondthesomme,wheredeadbodieslayinupheavedearthamongruinsandslaughteredtrees.waratmontreuilwasquiteapleasantoccupationforelderlygeneralswholikedtheirlittlestrollafterlunch,andforyoungregularofficers,releasedfromthepainfulnecessityofdyingfortheircountry,whoweregladtogetagameoftennis,downbelowthewallsthere,afterstrenuousoffice-workinwhichtheyhadwritten“passedtoyou”onmany“minutes,”orhaddrawnthemostcomicalcaricaturesoftheirimmediatechief,andofhisimmediatechief,onblotting-padsandwriting-blocks.

itseemed,atamereglance,thatallthesemilitaryinhabitantsofg.h.q.weregreatandglorioussoldiers.someoftheyoungestofthemhadarowofdecorationsfrommontenegro,serbia,italy,rumania,andotherstates,asrecognitionofgallantserviceintranslatinggermanletters(foundindugoutsbythefighting-men),orarrangingforvisitsofpoliticalpersonagestothebackareasofwar,orinitialingrequisitionsforpink,blue,green,andyellowforms,whichinduecoursewouldfindtheirwaytobattalionadjutantsforimmediatefilling-upinthemiddleofanaction.theoldestofthem,thosewhite-haired,bronze-faced,gray-eyedgeneralsintheadministrativesideofwar,hadstartedtheirthirdrowofribbonswellbeforetheendofthesommebattles,andhadflower-bordersontheirbreastsbythetimethemassacreshadbeenaccomplishedinthefieldsofflanders.iknowanofficerwhowasawardedthed.s.o.becausehehadhinderedtheworkofwarcorrespondentswiththezealofahedge-sparrowinsearchofworms,andanotherwhowasthebest-decoratedmaninthearmybecausehehadpresidedoveravisitors'chateauandentertainedroyalties,membersofparliament,mrs.humphryward,miners,japanese,russianrevolutionaries,portugueseministers,harrylauder,swedes,danes,norwegians,clergymen,montenegrins,andtheeditorofjohnbull,atthegovernment'sexpense—andiamboundtosayhedeservedthemall,beingamanofinfinitetact,manylanguages,andadevastatingsenseofhumor.therewasalwaysacharliechaplinfilmbetweenmovingpicturesofthebattlesofthesomme.hebroughttheactualitiesofwartothevisitors'chateaubysentry-boxesoutsidethedoor,atoy“tank”inthefrontgarden,andacollectionofwartrophiesinthehall.hespoketohighpersonageswithlessdeferencethanheshowedtominersfromdurhamandwales,andwasmasterofthemalways,orderingthemsternlytobedatteno'clock(whenhesatdowntobridgewithhisjuniorofficers),andwithstrictmilitarydisciplineinsistingupontheirinspectionofthebakeriesatboulogne,andboot-mendingfactoriesatcalais,aspartofthegloryofwarwhichtheyhadcomeoutfortosee.

soitwasthattherewerebrilliantcolorsinthestreetsofmontreuil,andateverydoorwayasentryslappedhishandtohisrifle,withsmartanduntiringiteration,asthe“brains”ofthearmy,under“brasshats”andredbands,wenthitherandthitherinthetown,lookingstern,assoldiersofgraveresponsibility,answeringsalutesabsent—mindedly,staringhaughtilyatyoungbattalionofficerswhopassedthroughmontreuilandlookedmeeklyforachanceofalorry-ridetoboulogne,onsevendays'leavefromthelines.

thesmartsocietyofg.h.q.wasbestseenattheofficers'clubinmontreuil,atdinner-time.itwasasmuchlikemusicalcomedyasanystagesettingofwaratthegaiety.abandplayedragtimeandlightmusicwhilethewarriorsfed,andallthesegeneralsandstaffofficers,withtheirdecorationsandarm-bandsandpolishedbuttonsandcrossedswords,werewaiteduponbylittlew.a.a.c.'swiththeg.h.q.colorstiedupinbowsontheirhair,andkhakistockingsundertheirshortskirtsandfancyaprons.suchachatter!suchburstsoflight-heartedlaughter!suchwhisperingsofsecretsandintriguesandscandalsinhighplaces!suchcareless—heartedcouragewhenbritishsoldierswerebeingblowntobits,gassed,blinded,maimed,andshell-shockedinplacesthatwerefar—soveryfar—fromg.h.q.!